nordenfelt



o Model.)

v SHELL FUSE.

NORADENFBLT.

Patented Mar f w8 V 4 Sheets-811881: 1.

\ MIA..

(No Model.) 4A Sheets-Sheet 4.

' 'TJNORDBNPELT SHELL FUSE.

No. 379.716,. PtenteaMar. zo, 188B.-

A"following qualities: iirst, that it shall be perl" i UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

THoRsTEN NOEDENEELT, or wE's'rMINsTEE, ENGLAND.

SHELL-FUSE.

SPEPICATIOforming part of Letters Patent No. 379,716,'dated' March 20,1888.

. .ppication fi d July 12, 1887. Serial No. 244,085. (No model.)Patented in Belgium March 19, 1887, No. 76,756, and in Italy March 3l.,1887, No. 21,486.

To all whom, lit may concern Be it known that I, THoEsTEN N ORDEN- FELT,a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at 53 Parliament Street, inthe city of 'Westminsten England, civil engineer, have the following isa specificationv The invention relates to fuses to be applied o the baseof a projectile.

The `improvements have mainly for their bject to make an efficient fusepossessing the fectl'ysafein handling, so that no concussiontri-'shaking can set itinto action; second, that shell ha\s the ipelletshall be set free by the pressure of the gases-in the bore of the gun;third, that the pellet, although set free, shall be unable to comeforward and burst the shell until the left the muzzle of the gun;fourth, that th R fuse may readily be changed from a direct-adtion toadelayed fuse, or vice versa'. I obtain these results inthe followingmanner: I liberate the pellet at the time when the projectile is redfrom a gun by causing the pressure of the powdergases` to thrust forwarda bolt and shear off -a pin by which the pelletl was'previously heldfast. In addition I render to 'yfo ward while the projectile is within jit imposile for the pellet when so liberated the gun forming the pelletwith a side lug or prqjection to lie in a groove which is at rightangles or inclinedto the longitudinal axis ofthe projectile. As theprojectile rotates, the lng passes along this groove, and when theprojectile has left the gun it enters a groove formed lengthwise of thebody of the fuse, and is then free to liy forward whenever the. `forwardmovement of the projectile is ar rested or checked.

The means used for liberating the pellet may beemployedseparatelywithout making provision for preventing the pellet from at once iiyingforward.

VFigures 1 to 8 of the drawings hereunto annexed show various views of apercussionfuseformeq as above described. .Eig. 1 is a, longitudinalsection of the fuse ready for use. Fig. 2 is a similar section of thefuse at the by the pressure of the powdergases, leaving the pellet freeto turn, but not ,to dy forward. Figs. 3 and 4 show the fuse at the timewhen the projectile has left the gun and the pellet at the time when theflight of the projectile has been arrested and the pellet thrown. for-Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the line A B, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is atransverse section 'through theline G D, Figs. 3 and 4; and Fig. 8, atransverse section through the line E F,- Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a.longitudinal section of a fuse' in which a bolt thrust forward by theaction of the powder-gases is used, but in which no provision is madefor preventing the pellet from flying forward. Fig. 10 is a longitudinalsection of a modified form of the ring C, to allow of either of thelfuses being readily converted into a delayed fuse. Fig. 11 showsanother modified form by which the same end may be attained. y

Iu Figs. 1 to 8, Ais the body of the fuse, in steel or brass or othersuitable metal.

B is a cylindrical lining placed within the interior of the body andretained therein by 'a screw-ring, C. This cylindrical lining l,bypreference, form of steel. Through the lining is formed a longitudinalslot, D, having a slot, E, branching from it. This branch slot is shownto be inclined to the longitudinal axis of the fuse. f

F is the pellet, formed with a lug, G, projecting from its side to enterthese slots.

' H is a pin passed through the side of the body and screwed into thelug G. The pin H also passes through a steel bolt, I. This bolt lies,within a hole or small cavity,vJ, formed longitudinally in the body Aclose to one side of its hollow central chamber. The rear endpowder-gases may get to the rear endof the bolt and force it forward.Copper cupsor of the hole J is open, so that the pressure of the timewhen the bolt has been forced forward.- l

is free to fly forward. Fig. 5 shows the fuse ward and about to lire thecharge ofthe shell.

shown my improvements applied to percus- 'jectile being arrested beforethe time-fuse getting past the bolt. A single cup may be used, or a pairof cups, one in rear of the other, may be used, as preferred.

When the powder-gases force forward the bolt I, the bolt shears the pinH, as shown at Fig. 2. Afterward, as the projectile rotates, the lug Gof the pellet passes along the inclined slot E and into the longitudinalslot I), as shown at Figs. 2 and 3, so that the pellet may be free toiiy forward when the iiight of the projectile is arrested. I

The length and the disposition of the circular groove can be soregulated that the lug G on the pellet willv not reach the end of theslot E until the projectile has left the muzzle of thel gun. The pellet,as usual, carries a patch of fulminate, L, which detonates when it comesagainst the point M, or .vi-ce versa. The pellet can be made to carry aneedle-point which will strike against a patch of fulminate carried bythe cover of the fuse. 'I

It will be seen that the pellet. can be made of any weight, so that ashell of anyy size can be made as sensitive as may be desired without inany way 'making the fuse dangerous.

- In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 8, I have onlyl sion-fuses; but atime-fuse may be formed in a similar mannen-that is to say, the lightingof the fuse may be effected by a pellet which isliberated by a boltforced forward by the pressure of the powdergases, and when liber,- atedis restrained in the way described from flying back and lighting thefuse composition until the projectile leaves the gun. Such fusesv couldalso be made to act both as a time-fuse and percussionffuse, so that incase of the fail ure of the time-fuse or the flight of the prohas actedthe shell maybe exploded immediately on its encountering any obstacle.

The arrangement for releasing the pellet by the pressure of thepowder-gases acting on a bolt which is forced endwi'se along a recess inthe body of the fuse and made to shear off a pin by which the pellet waspreviously re-` tained may, as previously stated, be used alone, ifdesired. In this case I prefer to form the recess transversely in thebase of the fuse, as shown at Fig. 9; but it might be otherwisedisposed. In this figure, N is the base of a projectile; A, the body ofthe fuse; J, a hole or small transverse cavity formed in the, base ofthe fuse; I, a bolt lying in the cavity; K, a copper cup or gas-checkfor preventing the powder-gases from getting past the bolt and into thefuse; O, a ring screwed into the mouth of the cavity for retaining thecup K I in place. l l

F is the pellet, with a pin, H, projecting from it, which at its end isscrewed into ahole in the side of the bolt I. The pellet, as inthe fuseshown at Figs. 1 to 8, carries a patch of fulminate, L, which detonateswhen it comes against the point M.

The action of the fusesinigniting the charge of the shell may bedelayed, whenever it is desi red that their action shall becomparatively.

slow, by filling part of the passage by which the flash from the patchof fulminate, L, passes to the charge in the shell with powder highlycompressed and which will burn comparatively slowly. rI wo ways ofeli'ecting this are shown at Figs. 10 and 11. In Fig. 10 the point Mis,as in the fuses shown in the other dgures, carried by the ring C. InFig. 11 the patch of fulminate, L, is carried by the ring and the pointis carried by the pellet. In each figure the block of highly compressedpowder is marked Q. In this way the fuse can either be changed from adirect-action fuse to a delayedaction fuse, or vice versa, simply bychanging from one form of ring C to the other.

Having now particularly described and as? certained the nature of mysaid invention and in what .manner the same is to be performed,

1. Ihe combination, substantially as set forth, of the bodyof thefusehaving the centrall chamber and adapted to be fixed to the base of aprojectile, the pellet secured within said chamber and adapted, whenfreed, t?.

move lengthwise thereof to explode the fiil-l minate, in a hole or smallcavity in the fuse-body and exposed at the rear end of the body to'athepressure of the powder-gases of the propelling charge, and the pinprojecting from the pellet laterally to the bolt `and made fast thereto,whereby the pressure upon the bolt breaks the the endwise-movableboltcontained(j pin, and so frees the pellet from the bolt, for

the purpose set forth.

2. The combination,*substantially as set forth, of the body of the fusehaving the cen- 'tral chamber and adapted to be iixed to the base of aprojectile, the pellet secured within said chamber and adapted, whenfreed, to move lengthwise thereof to explode the ful` minate, theendwisemovable bolt contained `in a hole or small cavity in thefuse-body and rio' exposed at the rear end of the body to the pressureof the powder-gases of the propellingcharge, the pin projecting from thepellet laterally to thebolt and made fast thereto, whereby movement ofthe pellet is prevented until pressure upon the bolt breaks the pin andfrees the pellet, the ring or plug at the fore part of the chamber, bycontact between which ring or plug and the pellet the fulminate isexploded when the flight of the projectile is retarded, and theslow-burning compositionl in the passages through the ring or plug, forthe j purpose set-forth.

3.' The combination, substantially as set forth, of the body of the fusehaving the central chamber and adapted to be fixed to the base of aprojectile, the slotted lining Within the chamber, the pellet securedwithin the chamber and adapted, when freed, to move lengthwise thereofto explode the fulminate,

IIS

the lug of the pelletfor engagement with thethereto, upon the breakingof which pin by slots of the lining, the endWise-movable bolt thepressure on the bolt the pellet is freed containedin a hole or smallcavityin the fusetherefrom, for the purpose set forth.

- body and exposed l', the rear end of the body 1 TEN. NORDENFELT.

5 to the pressure of the powder-gases of the pro- Witnesses:

-pelling-charge, alud the pin projecting from GUSTAF Roos, Y

l' the pellet laterally to the bolt and made fast; F. A. VoL.-

